Then came the 911 SC rally car that Walter Rohrl used on the 1981 San Remo Rally. He suffered a litany of problems early on in the event but staged a dramatic comeback until the car, run by French Porsche specialist Almeras Freres, ultimately failed. Its 3.0-liter, flat-six motor is on song now.

A trio of flat-six, turbo-powered monsters whistled and blared on stage. The legendary, long-tail 935/78 known as “Moby Dick” was built specifically for the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1978, with a 3.2-liter motor that threw out 845 hp (630 kW). It didn’t really work, though, only managing eighth in the race.

The open-topped, 540 hp (403 kW), 2.1-liter 936/77, on the other hand, did win Le Mans, this very one taking victory in the hands of Jacky Ickx, Hurley Haywood, and Jurgen Barth.

The 956 went one better than the 936, winning Le Mans four times to its predecessor’s three. It’s 2.6-liter motor produced 635 hp (474 kW), to propel just 800 kilograms (1,764 pounds).